larkin



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. F. RKIN.

HA 06K. No. 436,833. Patented Sept. 23, 18190.

: i12 I f r-v-IN E nl). INVENTUH'- (No Modem 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. F. LARKN.

- HAT BLOGK. I No. 436,833. Patented; Sept. 23V, 1890.

UNITED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. LARKIN, OF NEVABK, NET JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE NEWARK HAT BLOCK COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

HAT-BLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 436,833, dated September 23, 1890.

Application filed January 24, 1890. Serial No. 337,956. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. LA RKIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State ot New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hat-Blocks Composed of Separable Pieces and Means for Uniting the Same; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The herein-described invention relates to improvements in hat-blocks which are larger at the tip than at the base; and the invention consists ot a hat-block of that class which is made up of several separate pieces adapted to be removably united to each other to form the block proper.

A further object is to provide a hat-block consisting of a number of separable parts arranged around a center piece or block provided with means thereon for drawing the surrounding parts tightly together around the same and thereby forming a substantially solid hat-block.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure l, Sheet l, is a side elevation of thel united hat-block, which is larger at the tip than at the base. Fig. 2 represents a top view of the same, illustrating the separable pieces surrounding the center piece or block and clearly showing the mechanism for drawing and locking or holding the several parts together and thereby making a united hat-block. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section to show more clearly the arrangement of the chuck 1nech- `anism for drawing the parts together, and

the block together, and Fig. 9 is a plan view of the under side of a ring provided with a spiral employed in the chuck.

As illustrated in the abovedescribed views, 5 5 the hat-block consists of four separate portions or side pieces B, B', C, and C', arranged around the center block A in such a manner that the portion or piece B is on one side of the block A, while the piece B is on the op- 6o posite side of said center block, and so with the portions or pieces C and C', which are also placed on opposite sides of the center block and between the side pieces B and B', respectively.

The center block A, as will be clearly seen from the drawings, is rectangular, preferably square at its lower end a, the sides of said block being wedge-shaped, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5, and the block is provided 7o on the top thereof with a round shank or post a. The portions B, B', C, and C are'shaped, as illustrated more clearly in Figs. 3 and 5, so that when they are closely arranged around the center block A they unite and form a com- 7 5 plete hat-block, which is oval in cross-section, and which is larger at the tip than at its base.

The center block A has secured to its four sides, directly below and on the top of the upper rectangular surface afour guide-plates 8o d, which are secured to the sides ot said block by means of a screw or pin arranged in aperforation d2 in a downwardlyproj ecting ange CZ in such a manner that the lower partsof said guide-plates are countersunk into the wooden block A and the guide-arms d3 are upon the upper surface a2 of the center block. Said guide-arms d3 are connected by means of a rib or bar d4 and are provided with two upwardly-projecting posts d5. Working within 9o the space formed between the guide-arms` d3 in each ot said guide-plates d is a dog or`jaw d, hook-shaped at C37 and provided withteeth or threads d8 on the top and other end'thereof. y These dogs, arranged between the said guidearms, are held in position therein by the rib or plate d. and the teeth d8 on the inner ends, which work within a spiral e on the lowerV side of a ring e, placed around and encircling the peripheral surface of the shank or p'ost a. roo Said ring e is provided with lugs e2 or other similar means, to which a wrench may be attached and by means of which said ring can be turned or rotated about said post aon the surface c2. When the' said ring is turned by means of the wrenchI the dogs CZ@ are caused to move between their guide-arms (Z3, and thus adapted to be drawn inwardly toward the center of the block A or in the opposite direction away therefrom, according in which direction the ring c is turned. The operation of the ring e and the dogs or jaws Z6 is similar to that of an ordinary lathe-chuck, the teeth on said dogs being caused to follow the curve of the spiral on the under side of the ring c, as will be understood. When the dogs (Z6 are drawn toward the center of the block A by means of said ring e, the inwardly-bent portion Z7 on each dog rides against the inner edge of the hole f3 in the coupling device, thereby tightly forcing the Han gef2 up against the under side of the dogs and also against the under sides of the guide-plates, thus cansing all of said parts to be tightly wedged together, as in a vise, and preventing any possible displacement. To each of the portions B, B', C, and C', respectively, are secured in any convenient manner said coupling devices f, which consist of a curved wall f, fitting into a recessed portion in the side pieces, into which said wall is wedged and thereby held in position. Each coupling device is provided with a projecting flange f2 on the inner curved side of the wall f', which flange is provided with aperforation f3 therein and two upwardly-projecting guides f4 on each side of said perforation. On opposite sides, between the outer edges of the coupling device and the guides f4, is a -V-shaped recess f5, the purpose of which will be described hereinafter.

In making silk hats a hat-block which is larger atthe tip than at the base must be used in order to produce the desired shape of the finished hat.

The operation of placing the hat-block within the hatbody is as follows: The side pieces B, B', C, and C are iirst placed into the bagshaped sack or crown from which the hat is to be formed, and the center block is then forced down into the central space or opening formed by the arrangement of the side pieces. When said side pieces have thus been arranged, before the insertion of the center block A, an opening is formed between said pieces, which is wedge-shaped and rectangular at the bottom to about one-half the distance up the block, and above that the Vhole formed is circular, having been thus formed by the round coupling devices arranged on the four sides of the hole, and also by the inner surfaces of the side pieces, which have been rounded out or cut away to correspond with the shape of the coupling devices. Vhen these side pieces have been placed in 'position within the hat-bod y, the wedgeshaped block or center piece A is inserted into this opening, and thefour hooks Z7 on the dogs or jaws ZG drop into the holes or perforations f3 in the four coupling devices in their respective side pieces. A slight turn on the ringe by means of a wrench will then cause the dogs or jaws to be drawn toward their common center, and the coupling devices thus also become drawn in toward the same center, pulling the respective side pieces toward a common center, and thus forming a united and complete block with the material stretched upon the same, and which can then be drawn tight by means of the ordinary brim-forming flange in the well-known manner. The difficulty heretofore has been to keep the parts of the block in position while finishing the hat without destroying the shape of the latter. .By my arrangement all parts are securely held together and firmly united.

In the present construction it will readily be seen that when the hat is finished a slight turn upon the collar or ring c in the opposite direction will force the dogs or jaws (Z6 outwardly, and the center block can be easily removed without any detriment to the shape' of the' hat.

To prevent any side movement ofthe side pieces when all the parts of the block have been united, I have provided the coupling device f with the V-shaped recesses f5, into which t the correspondingly V-shaped projections cZ9 on the under sides of the plates or ends Zw onv the guide-pieces. This also acts as a centering device, bringing the central axisV of the perforation]123 in a straight line with the longitudinal axis ot' the dogs or jaws d6. When the several parts are in position and the coupling device is placed against the guides d, said upwardly-projecting guides f4 on the upper side of the flange f2 extend between the edges ZU of the plates d10, thus causing said plates or ends to rest upon the flange f 2 andthe V-shapcd projections Z9 to tit into the V-shaped recesses f5. Furthermore, the edges f6 of the guides jAL abut against the sides CZ12 of the posts CZ, from which it is evident that any side movement in anydirection is prevented. .v

In order to prevent the dropping out ot' the ring c from the block in case that the latter should be turned over, the guide-plates (Z are provided with upwardly-projecting lingers or arms (Z13, which extend over the top surface of said ring, as illustrated in Figs.'2 and 3, but which still allow the ring to rotate beneath said lingers.

From Fig. 7 it will be seen that one end of the wallf of the connecting or coupling device f is wider than the other, thus making the same wedge-shaped. The edges are'also chamfered, and, as will be seen from Fig. 5 said' chamfered edges of the wedge-shaped wall] 'A are secured within dovetailed or correspond-A ingly-shaped grooves in the side pieces,`.and thus firmly held in position. device may also be secured' to the side pieces by means of screws or pins.

As shown in Fig. G, the guiding devicecZis formed" in one piece; but I may secure thej rib d and the posts CZ5 thereto by means ofV IOC IIC

Said coupling screws, and I may entirely dispense with some of the parts, if desirable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. In a hat-block, in combination, a center block having a round post or shank thereon, a ring around said post provided wit-h means for turning the same and having a spiral on one side thereof, dogs or jaws with one end of which said spiral is in engagement, and side pieces arranged around said center block, provided with coupling devices, to which said dogs are attached and whereby said side pieces are caused to move toward or away from said center block, for the purposes set forth.

2. Ina hat-block, in combination, a center block having a post or shank thereon, a ring around said post provided with means for turning the same and a spiral on one side thereof, guide-plates beneath said ring, dogs or jaws in said guide-plates, and side pieces arranged around said center block, provided with coupling devices, to which said dogs are attached and whereby said side pieces are caused to move toward or away from said center block, for the purposes set forth.

3. In a hat-block, in combination, a center block provided with a shank or post, means thereon for detachably securing side pieces around said center bloc-k to form a united hat-block, each of said side pieces being provided with coupling devices provided with a projecting ange having a perforation therein and having V-shaped recesses which t into V-shapedprojections in guide-plates on the center block, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a hat-block, in combination, a rectangular center block having a round post or shank thereon, a ring around said post provided with means for turning the saine, guide-plates beneath said ring on the upper rectangular surface of said center block, dogs orjaws in said guide-plates, and side pieces arranged around said center block, provided with coupling devices, each having a projecting iian ge with a perforation therein, to which said dogs are removably attached and Whereby said side pieces are drawn up against the center block to form a united hat-block, being larger at the tip than at the base, as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a hat-block, in combination, a rectangular center block having a round postor shank, a ring around said post provided with means for turning the same, guide-plates beneath said ring on the upper rectangular surface of said center block, dogs or jaws in said guide-plates provided with teeth or projece tions which co-operate with a spiral on said ring, and side pieces arranged around said center block, provided with coupling devices, each having a projecting flange with a perforation therein, to which said dogs are attached and whereby said side pieces are drawn up against the center block to form a united hat-block, being larger at the tip than at the base, as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a hat-block, in combination, a rectangular center block having a round post or shank, a ring around said post provided with means for turning the same, guide-plates beneath said ring on the upper rectangular surface of said center block, dogs or jaws in said guideplates, being hook-shaped at one end and having teeth or projections on their opposite ends which co-operate with a spiral on said ring, and side pieces arranged around said center block, provided with coupling devices, each having a projecting flange with a perforation therein, to which said hooks on the dogs are attached and whereby said side pieces are drawn up against the center block to form a united hat-block, being larger at the ti than at the base, as and for the purposes set forth. j

7. In a hat-block, in combination, a rectangular center block having a round post or shank, a ring around said post provided with means for turning the same, guide-plates secured to said center block beneath said ring, dogs or jaws in said guide-plates, being hookshaped at one end and having teeth or proj ections on their opposite ends which co-operate with a spiral on said ring, a rib on said guide-plates, means to hold said ring around the post on the center block in position, side pieces arranged around said center block, provided with coupling devices, each having a projecting flange with a perforation therein, to which said hooks on the dogs or jaws are attached, and V-shaped recesses in said proj ecting ilange into which iit corresponding V- shaped projections on the under side of said guide-plates on the center block, allof said parts being arranged substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

8. In ahatblock,the herein-described guideplates, consisting, essentially, of the guidingarms cl3, connected by means of a downwardlyprojecting flange d, provided with posts d5, a rib d4, and V-shaped projections di, as set forth.

9. The herein-described coupling device for coupling the side pieces in a hat-block to a chuck on a center block, as set forth, said coupling device consisting, essentially, of a curved wall f for securing the same to the side piece, the projecting ilange f2, perforation f3 therein, V-shaped recesses in said flange, and upwardly-projecting guides thereon, as set forth.

In testimony' that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 22d day of January, 1890.

GEORGE F. LARKIN.

Witnesses:

FREDK. C. FRAENTZEL, WM. H. CAMFIELD.

IOO 

